NEW DELHI, Jan 16
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised that the Centre accords top priority to road safety and aims at achieving a 50 per cent reduction in accident-related deaths by 2030.
Gadkari underscored the need for a change in social behaviour and a dedicated focus on strengthening the ‘4Es of Road Safety’: Engineering (Road & Vehicle Engineering), Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Medical Service.
He highlighted these points while addressing the CII National Conclave on ‘Road Safety – Indian Roads@2030 – Raising the Bar of Safety’.
Emphasising on cooperation of all stakeholders to enhance road safety measures, the Union Minister cited the latest Report on Road Accidents 2022 which said there have been 4.6 lakh road accidents, 1.68 lakh deaths, and 4 lakh serious injuries. He said the country witnesses 53 road accidents and 19 deaths every hour.
The Union Minister said there has been an increase in road accidents by 12 per cent and road accidents deaths by 10 per cent, resulting in a socio-economic loss of 3.14 per cent to the GDP.
He said 60 per cent of deaths occur in the age group of 18 to 35 years. Accident deaths represent the loss of a breadwinner, a professional setback for employers, and overall loss to the economy, he added.
Gadkari said the system of rewards for good traffic behaviour among citizens has yielded positive results in Nagpur.
The Union Minister stressed regular eye check-ups for drivers and asked organisations to hold such camps free of cost as part of their corporate social responsibility.
He said education and awareness among schools and colleges in collaboration with NGOs, startups, technology providers, IITs, universities, and traffic & highway authorities is the way forward for spreading good practices for road safety.
